And these are the laws that you shall set before them.

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

And these [(Just as what precedes was stated at Sinai, so these)] are the judgments [(this section being juxtaposed with that of the altar to teach that the Sanhedrin should preside near the sanctuary)] that you should set [(as a "set" table, the judgments not merely to be mandated to them, but to be "digested" for them)] before them [and not before gentiles, even if their law, in the instance in question, coincides with Jewish law (this, to avoid diminution of the honor of Heaven)].

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve [you] for six years, but in the seventh [year] he is to go out free, for naught [without liability].

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.

If you buy [from beth-din] a Hebrew man-servant, six years shall he serve, and in the seventh he shall go out to freedom, gratis.

If he came by himself [unmarried], he shall go out by himself. If he was married, his wife shall go out with him.

If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

If alone [without a wife] he came, alone shall he go out [(If he were not married when he came, his master may not give him a Canaanite bondswoman for the begetting of slaves)]. If he were the husband of a [Jewish] woman, then his wife shall go out with him. [(When did she come in?) It is hereby derived that one who buys a Hebrew man-servant is required to feed his wife and children.]

If his master should give him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, then the woman and her children belong to her master, and he shall go out by himself.

If his master has given him a wife, and she has born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

If his master gives him a woman [a Canaanite bondswoman], and she bears him sons or daughters, then the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone.

If the slave explicitly says, “I have come to love my master, my wife and my children, I do not want to go out free.”

And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

And if the man-servant will say: I love my master, my wife [the bondswoman] and my children; I shall not go out free,

His master must bring him to the judges. He must then bring him next to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl. He then serves his master forever.

then his master shall bring him to the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or to the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

then his master shall bring him near to the judges [(The man-servant must consult the judges who sold him)], and he shall bring him near to the door or to the door-post [(Just as a door-post stands (in its place), so the door (against which his ear is bored) must be standing)], and his master shall bore his [right] ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever [i.e., until the Jubilee year]. [Why the ear? The ear which heard on Mount Sinai: "Thou shalt not steal!" and he went and stole (for which reason beth-din sold him) — let his ear be bored! Or, if he sold himself: The ear which heard on Mount Sinai: "For unto Me are the children of Israel servants" and he went and acquired a master for himself — let his ear be bored! And why door and door-post? The Holy One Blessed be He said: The door and the door-post, which were witnesses in Egypt when I skipped over the lintel and the two door-posts (on which the Jews had sprinkled the blood of the Paschal lamb), and I said: "For unto Me are the children of Israel servants" — and not servants to servants (i.e., the Egyptians) and this one went and acquired a master for himself! Let his ear (that heard and did not listen) be bored (in their presence!)]

If a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out [free] in the manner of male slaves.

And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

And if a man sells his daughter [a minor (under twelve)] as a maid, she shall not go out as the [Canaanite] bondsmen go out, [with the master's knocking out a tooth or an eye (but: at the end of six years, at the Jubilee year, or at her bringing (pubertal) signs — whichever is first)].

If she is displeasing to her master, who had not designated her as his wife, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no power [right] to sell her to an alien people for he has dealt deceitfully with her.

If she please not her master, who has designated her for himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he has dealt deceitfully with her.

If she be ill-favored in the eyes of her master, who [on that account] did not designate her [to be his wife, even though he should have], then he shall [help] redeem her [by deducting from her six-year redemption money the value of the service she had already rendered]. To a strange nation [i.e., to another man] he [both the master and the father] shall not presume to sell her, after he [the master, by not taking her to wife, or the father, by selling her] has been faithless to her.

If he has designated her as a wife for his son, he must grant her exactly the same rights as daughters.

And if he designated her for his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

And if [as is the master's prerogative,] to his son he designate her, [(the purchase money serving as the betrothal money)], according to the ordinance of the daughters ["her food, her clothing, and her (conjugal) time" (10)] shall he provide for her.

If he takes himself another [wife], her sustenance, her clothing and her conjugal rights he must not diminish.

If he take another wife for himself; her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

If another (wife) he take for himself [in addition to her], her [the first one's] food, her clothing, and her (conjugal) time he shall not diminish.

If he does not do these three things to her, she goes out free with no repayment of money.

And if he do not these three to her, then shall she go out free without money.

And if [one of] these three [viz. marrying her himself, marrying her to his son, or deducting from her redemption money] he does not do to her, then she shall go out gratis, without money [(Scripture providing an additional way for her to go out, viz., showing signs of puberty)].

If one strikes a man and he [the victim] dies, he shall be put to death.

He that smites a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

If one strikes a man [(only one who is destined to be a "man," and not a fetus that is certain to die of itself)], and he dies, then, [i.e., only if it is a death-dealing blow], he shall be put to death.

But if he did not lie in wait [to ambush him] but God brought it to his hand, then I will designate for you a place, to which he can flee [and find refuge].

And if a man did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen to him; then I will appoint thee a place to which he shall flee.

And if he did not lie in wait (for him), but G-d put (him) into his hand, then I shall make for you a place [even (now) in the desert] where he shall flee, [that place being the Levite encampment.]

But if a man plots against his neighbor to kill him intentionally, you may [even] take him from My altar to put him to death.

But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from my altar, that he may die.

And if a man be deliberate, [and not unwitting] against his neighbor, [and not against a gentile], to kill him with subtlety [(to exclude a doctor whose patient dies as a result of his treatment, a bailiff of beth-din who kills in the administration of stripes, and one whose son or disciple dies under his chastisement)], from My altar [if he were a Cohein and wished to perform the priestly service] shall you take him to die.

Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

And he that smites his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

And if one strikes [and wounds] his father or his mother, he shall be put to death [by strangulation (unlike one who wounds another, who pays but is not killed)].

Whoever steals [kidnaps] a man and sells him, if he is found in his hand, he shall be put to death.

And he that steals a man, and sells him, if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

And if one, [including a woman, tumtum (one of indeterminate gender) or hermaphrodite], kidnapped a man and sold him, and he were found in his hand, [i.e., men having witnessed his being kidnapped and sold and his having been in the kidnapper's hand before the sale], he (the kidnapper) shall be put to death [by stoning].

Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

And he that curses his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

And if one [including a woman] curses his father or his mother, he shall be put to death [by stoning].

When men quarrel and one man hits his fellow with a stone or with [his] fist; and he [the victim] does not die but becomes bedridden,

And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keeps his bed:

And if men quarrel and a man strike his neighbor with stone or fist and he not die, but become bedridden [and work-disabled],

If he gets up and is able to walk on the outside on his own power, the one who struck him shall be acquitted. Still he must pay for his loss of work, and must pay for his complete cure.

if he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that struck him be acquitted: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

If he arise and walk outside on his own power, then the striker shall be absolved [(the striker being imprisoned pending resolution of the victim's state)]; only his work-disability [payment] shall he (the striker) give, and heal shall he heal [i.e., he shall pay medical expenses].

If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and [the slave] dies under his hand, [the death] must be avenged.

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

And if a man strike his [Canaanite] man-servant or maid-servant with a rod [of killing potential], and he die under his hand, vengeance [by the sword] shall be taken.

However if he [the slave] survives for a day or two, [his death] is not avenged, for he [the slave] is his [master’s] property.

But if he continues a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

But if one day or two days [i.e., one day which is like two days, a twenty-four hour period] he survive, vengeance shall not be taken, for he (the man-servant) is his money, [but if another (i.e., not his master) kills him, even if the servant lingered on that long, he (the murderer) is put to death].

If men will fight and they strike a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry, but there is no fatal injury [to the woman], he [the guilty one] is to be punished with a [monetary] penalty when the husband demands compensation. He shall pay as determined by the judges.

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no further harm ensue: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

And if men fight [with each other and one strikes at the other] and they hit a pregnant woman, and her fetuses miscarry, and there be no death [in the woman], then he shall be punished [i.e., payment (for the fetuses) shall be exacted of him.] As the husband of the woman imposes upon him (the striker) [through beth-din] he shall give by word of the judges.

However if there is a fatal injury, you shall give [up] a life for a life.

But if any harm ensue, then thou shalt give life for life.

And if there be death [in the woman] then you shall give a life for a life [(According to one view, "life," literally; according to another, monetary payment, estimated by the sales-price of servants in the marketplace)].

[Compensation of] an eye for an eye, [of] a tooth for a tooth, [of] a hand for a hand, [of] a foot for a foot.

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

An eye for an eye [(If one blinded another, he pays him the monetary value of an eye, estimated by loss of value of a blinded servant in the marketplace)]; a tooth for a tooth; a hand for a hand; a foot for a foot.

[Compensation of] a burn for a burn, [of] a wound for a wound, [of] a bruise for a bruise.

burning for burning, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

A burn [produced by fire] for a burn [(monetary payment, estimated by how much one would give to be spared the pain of the burn)]; a wound [(where blood is drawn)] for a wound [(Though he makes the other payments (loss of limb, disability, etc.,) he is not exempt from payment for pain)]; a welt [(where no blood is drawn)] for a welt.

If a man strikes the eye of his slave, or the eye of his female slave, and destroys [blinds] it, he shall set him [the slave] free as compensation for the eye.

And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

And if a man strike the eye of his [Canaanite] man-servant or the eye of his maid-servant, and he destroy it, free shall he send him in lieu of his eye [or any other organ prominences which do not grow back (excluding a child's tooth)].

If [he knocks out] the tooth of his slave, or knocks out the tooth of his female slave, he shall set him [the slave] free as compensation for the tooth.

And if he strike out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

And if the tooth [(though one is not born with it, unlike "eye")] of his man-servant or the tooth of his maid-servant he strike out, free shall he send him in lieu of his tooth.

If an ox gores a man or woman and the victim dies, the ox shall be stoned [to death], and its flesh may not be eaten. The owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.

And if an ox [(or any other animal)] gore a man or a woman and he die, the ox shall be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten [even if it is slaughtered after judgment has been pronounced upon it], and the owner of the ox is absolved ["the owner" of a tam (an ox that is not "confirmed" in killing, as opposed to a mued, a three-time killer ox. See 29)]

But if the ox had gored yesterday and the day before, and a warning was given to its owner, but he had not taken proper precautions to guard it, and kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and the owner also shall die [by Divine decree].

But if the ox was wont to gore with his horn in time past, and his owner had been warned, yet he had not kept him in, but it killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

And if it were a goring ox from yesterday and the day before, [three gorings (including the latest), and the owner were warned [in the presence of witnesses], and he did not guard it, and it killed [(by goring or otherwise)] a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner, too, shall die [at the hands of Heaven].

When an atonement fine shall be imposed on him, he must give for the redemption of his soul whatever sum is imposed on him.

If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatever is laid upon him.

When kofer ["atonement" (payment)] is set for him, he shall give the redemption of his soul [(According to one view, the value of the victim; according to another, the value of the owner)], according to all that shall be set for him.

Whether it is a son [a minor lad] that is gored or a daughter [a minor girl] that it gored, this law shall apply to it.

Whether he has gored a son, or gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done to him.

Or if it gore a son [a minor], or it gore a daughter [a minor], according to this ordinance shall it be done to him.

If the ox gored a male or female slave, he must give thirty silver shekalim to their master, and the ox must be stoned.

If the ox shall gore a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

If the ox gore a [Canaanite] man-servant or maid-servant, then silver, thirty shekels, shall he give to his master [regardless of how much he is worth] and the ox shall be stoned.

If a man uncovers a pit, or if a man digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it;

And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall into it;

And if a man open a pit [(in the public domain) which was covered] or if a man dig a pit [even if he completes another's digging], and he not cover it, and there fall into it an ox or an ass [or any other animal],

The owner of the pit must pay. He must compensate its owner with money, and the dead [animal] remains his [its original owner’s] possesion.

the owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money to the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

the owner of the pit [i.e., the one who occasioned the damage, whether or not he be the actual owner] shall pay. Money shall he restore [(any kind of "restoration," even bran)] to its owner, and the carcass shall belong to him [the latter (as partial payment towards damages)].

If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide the money received for it. They shall also divide [the value of] the dead animal.

And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

And if the ox [a tam ("non-confirmed" in damaging)] of a man strike [(any kind of "striking" — butting, kicking, biting, etc.)] the ox of his neighbor, and it die, then they shall sell the living ox and halve its money [between them] and also the [value of the] carcass shall they halve [between them (so that the owner of the tam, where both oxen are of equal value, pays half-damages)].

If it was known that it was a goring ox from yesterday and the day before, but he had not taken proper precaution to guard it, then he must pay full compensation, an ox for an ox. The dead [animal] remains in the possession [of its owner].

Or if it be known that the ox has long been in the habit of goring, and his owner has not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

Or [if it were not a tam, but] it be known that it were a goring ox [a mued] from yesterday and the day before, [three gorings (including the latest)], and its owner did not guard it, then pay shall he pay, an ox [full value] for an ox, and the carcass shall belong to him [the owner of the gored ox, (the owner of the goring ox making up the difference between the value of the carcass and the full value of the gored ox)].

If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and then slaughters or sells it, he must pay five oxen for each ox, and four sheep for each sheep.

If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

If a man steal an ox or a lamb, and slaughter it or sell it, then five (head of) cattle shall he pay for the ox, and four sheep for the lamb, ["ox" and "lamb," specifically (Only four for the lamb, as opposed to five for the ox, for the thief suffers shame in carrying the lamb (whereas he leads the ox)].